Confirmed! Yash Raj Films enters OTT space, announces first project
Last month, we learned that ace producer Aditya Chopra has invested a stunning Rs. 500cr for a new digital platform under his Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner. And here he is with his first project that has been titled The Railway Men. Its first poster was shared on social media today. Alongside this, the company informed that four others are also in the making.
Why does it matter?
Launching an OTT platform (YRF Entertainment) now looks like a smart move since it's the new medium for entertainment consumption. Also, since Chopra's production house is huge and YRF has backed projects in various genres for long, OTT offerings from him are expected to be different from the rest. But will YRF succeed, given that this arena is already choked with multiple promising players?
'The Railway Men' is the first series from YRF
Back to the series, The Railway Men is dedicated to "the unsung heroes of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy." It will be about those railway employees who had saved thousands that time. The series stars R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyenndu Sharma, and late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil. Its shooting began yesterday. Shiv Rawail, son of director Rahul Rawail, will helm this series.
A video was also shared along with the announcement
YRF shared a goosebumps-inducing video along with the announcement that showed the actors, one by one, all masked. Notably, Madhavan, Menon and Sharma are known for their OTT outings. While the Vikram Vedha star entered the digital space with Breathe, Menon did so with Special OPS. Meanwhile, Sharma's act in Mirzapur is talked about till date. So, their coming together is definitely exciting!
Read the good news here
Series hits the OTT platform next year on this date
The series releases exactly a year from now. Apart from these four actors, several other strong performers will be roped in in due course. The tragedy, called "world's worst industrial disaster," dates back to December 2, 1984, when methyl isocyanate, a deadly gas, had leaked from a pesticide factory. Over 5000 had died, as per official records. The toll may be more, said experts.